Reinforced concrete construction.



UTE STATES PATENT OFICE.

CHARLES C. ALLEN OF NEBRASKA CITY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR TO WTLSON RE- ENFORCED CONCRETE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEBRASKA.

RETNFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

Application filed April 4, 1912, Serial No. 688,415.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nebraska City, in the county of Otoe and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reinforced Concrete Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reinforced concrete constructions and more particularly to a series of concrete sections which are arranged end to end and joined through the medium of metal draw bars embedded therein and having their presented terminals interengaged, the bars constituting not only the requisite reinforcements for the sections, but also the means whereby the latter are united to form a complete structure and having the inner portions of the joints smooth or unobstructive.

A practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a collective view showing one of the draw bars broken away, the adjacent end of the next draw bar and the locking device, the various elements being separated from one another, Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of two concrete construct-ions showing the manner of associating the ends of the draw bars. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section taken through the concrete construction shown by Fig. 2 and illustrating the connected draw bars in another position.

Referring to the drawings, the numerals 5 and 6 respectively indicate in a general manner two adjacentcounterpart sections of a monolithic concrete structure, said sections being reinforced and coupled or terminally connected by the improved draw bars 7. These draw bars are embedded in the sections as shown, and in actual practice are arranged in the molds wherein the said sections are cast, the number of bars employed in each section depending upon the particular shape and size of the'section as well as the demands for strength in accordance with the ultimate employment of the finished structure. The arrangement of the bars is such that one end of each projects beyond the corresponding end wall of the section, and the other end of each bar terminates short of the opposite end wall of the same section and is disposed within a recess 8.

The end ofeach bar projecting beyond the end of thesection is in the form of a horizontally flat elongated loop 9 and constitutes a male coupling member, the opposite end of the bar being provided with a female coupling member comprising a horizontally flat loop 10 continuing into an upwardly projecting connecting loop 11 and then merging into a top loop 12, the free extremity 13 of the material being projected inwardly and lying above the main body of the bar. The two horizontally disposed loops 10 and 12 form jaws which are normally converged,

toward their outer extremities and are resilient or yielding sufiiciently to permit the male member 9 on the contiguous draw bar end to pass therebet-ween so that the openings between all of the loops or that of the loop 9 of the male member and the loops 10 and 12 of the female member will accurately register and provide a seat for the insertion of a wedge plug or coupling member 14.

The female members are all normally exposed in the recesses 8- atthe end of each monolithic section, and the male members 9 project a sufficient distance beyond the opposite end of each section to enter between the loops l0 and 12 of the female member, and after receiving the coupling plugs on members 14 the ends of the monolithic sections will be drawn in close or tight contact and held against movement or the least play. If desired the ends of the male and female members may be heated prior to their association and the coupling plugs then inserted in the male and female members of the draw bars, with the advantage that when the draw bar ends cool they will contract and insure a tighter engagement and a closer joint between the ends of the monolithic.

structures 5 and 6. a

It will be seen that each draw barlha's a single member between the male and female members at the opposite ends thereof, thereby materially reducing the use of metal and the cost of construction of the bars withsile strength than a fiat bar and is equally resistible as compared to a double strand bar and at the same time the weight of each bar is materially reduced and the cost of production is cheapened without detracting from the efiectiveness of the bar. The cost of fabricating the improved bar is also materially reduced in view of the fact that it can be bent cold with a suitable bar bender and the bending operations for the complete bar are minimized.

From the foregoing the operation of assembling the monolithic sections and securing the draw bars will be readily understood, all of the terminals or male and female members of the bar being associated in the same manner and engaged by the wedge plugs or coupling members 14, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3. After the ends of the bars or male and female members have been connected the recesses 8 are filled with cement or grouting flush with the outer surfaces of the structures in which they are formed. The bars may be shippedin a raw state from the mills and the bending operations necessary to form the male and female members may be pursued at the place of use of the bars or where the monolithic 'structures are formed, and by this means the I ed. by avertical bend extending from the v 45 lower to-the u per loop and located at a distance inwar ly from the outer ends of the said loops of the female member.

2,. A reinforcing bar for concrete structures comprising a'single rod having a horizontally fiat loop at one end and a pair of superposed loops at the opposite end con tinuous with the rod and located at one -by'a vertical bend at a distance inwardly from the free extremities thereof and having the freeextremity of the rod continuing from one of the pairs of loops extending inwardly over the said rod.

4. A concrete structure comprising abut- .ting members, the abutting end of one member having recesses therein, longitudinally arranged reinforcing bars embedded in the membersof the concrete structure and each comprising a single rod formed at one end with a fiat horizontal loop projected beyond the end of the member of the concrete structure, the opposite end of the bar being formed with two horizontally fiat loops dis posed at one side of the bar and resiliently yieldable, the one loop being superposed above the other and both loops converging toward their outer ends and connected a short distance inwardly from the outer ends by a vertical loop, the end of the bar carrying the two loops being disposed in the recess of the member of the concrete structure to receive therebetween the single fiat loop, on an adjacent bar end, andmeans inserted through the associated loops and 10- cated within the r'ecess of the member of the concrete structure, the recess of the member ofthe concrete structure being adapted to be filled with cement material after the loops are assembled. t

In testimony whereof I'have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

4 CHARLES o. ALLEN.

Witnesses i M. WPNEIHAIE, A. U. Younc. 

